By SUSAN PHINNEY, P-I REPORTER

Published 10:00 pm, Wednesday, September 20, 2006

It would seem even Popeye is off his feed these days. Spinach in all its forms is the bête noire of the produce section. How long will this estrangement last? What are the long-term implications of the E. coli scare?

Here are some answers to the most commonly asked questions.

Is the spinach advisory still in effect?

It is not only still in effect, it has been reissued. Deanna Mill, with the state Department of Health in Olympia, said the Food and Drug Administration issued an advisory on Tuesday, and updated it Wednesday, advising consumers to avoid fresh spinach or products containing fresh spinach until further notice. Visit www.fda.gov for more information and updates.

What are some substitutes for raw spinach that supply similar vitamins and nutrients?

"Most people don't eat spinach every day," she said. "I would recommend very dark, green leafy vegetables. Broccoli cooked or raw, kale, turnip greens, beet greens are good substitutes along with watercress, romaine, butter lettuce, cabbage and other salad vegetables."

Carrots and tomatoes are beneficial additions. Another good hot vegetable would be a dark yellow squash or pumpkin. Peaches, raisins, oranges and grapefruit are other sources. Peppers are also good.

What should I look for when buying fresh spinach?

Assuming you can find spinach in a local store, Trudy Bialic of PCC Natural Markets said co-ops across the country are continuing to sell spinach grown in their areas, as opposed to spinach from a national source. "Know where it's grown and the provider," she said. "PCC Natural Markets aren't even getting spinach from Oregon." Bialic, who has been discussing the E. coli outbreak with several food safety experts, said the FDA advisory was broad-based for an industry with mainstream retailers who don't know where their goods are coming from. The FDA was criticized by some local growers for making the advisory national in scope.

Is organic spinach less safe because it might be fertilized with manure?

"You can get E. coli contamination with organic products," Dr. David Acheson, director of Food Safety and Security at the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, said during a teleconference Wednesday. "At this point we have not ruled in or ruled out organic spinach. We're not at the point of saying it's one or the other."

If spinach is on a restaurant menu, is it safe?

Many Seattle restaurants are keeping uncooked spinach off their menus at the moment. One local Italian restaurant still had a spinach salad on its menu Wednesday, but patrons were told it wasn't available. Some restaurants are buying and serving Washington-grown lettuce instead. If a restaurant is serving spinach, ask where it's from and eat it in a restaurant you trust.

Does cooking kill the E. coli bacteria?

Yes, but just touching spinach that might carry E. coli prior to cooking could contaminate hands, kitchen counters and utensils. So don't even try to cook it, said Dr. Acheson.

Is frozen spinach OK? Canned spinach?

The FDA has seen no indication that the E. coli outbreak has affected frozen or canned spinach.

When will the FDA lift its advisory?

Dr. Acheson wouldn't commit to when the FDA would lift the advisory and permit spinach from other parts of the country to be sold. He said there was pressure from growers in other states to get this done quickly, but caution is the watchword right now.